The Turtle Tower on Hoàn Kiếm Lake in Hanoi, with the Central Post Office behind
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Hanoi in 2 days

  • 2 days
  • 8.5 km on foot
  • 18 stops
  • Audio guide

With two days, Hanoi stops being a dash between scooters. Day one runs from the Old Quarter to the French Quarter, with a small, deeply human museum and the water puppets; day two goes from imperial Hanoi to West Lake and the many peoples of Vietnam. It is a pace built for sit-down lunches, ducking out of the midday heat and watching the lake light up.

Day 1Markets, women and puppets

Start early with “From the iron bridge to the Opera”, from Long Biên Bridge to Đồng Xuân Market and the tube house on Mã Mây, while the Old Quarter still smells of breakfast. Have bún chả at Đắc Kim, then spend the hottest hours indoors: the Vietnamese Women's Museum, followed by a water puppet show by the lake. Late in the afternoon, “Sacred turtles, a magic sword and jailbreaks” sets off from Hỏa Lò Prison and finishes at Ô Quan Chưởng Gate, a few steps from Chả Cá Street for dinner.

  1. Morning

    From the iron bridge to the Opera: Hanoi highlights

    Mixed · 3.1 km · 2 h

    1. Long Biên BridgeAn iron bridge from 1902 that survived the bombing and, despite what you may hear, was not designed by Eiffel.
    2. Đồng Xuân MarketThe Old Quarter's great covered market, built by the French in 1889 and rebuilt after a fire.
    3. 87 Mã Mây Ancient HouseA merchants' tube house, restored with help from Toulouse, that shows how people lived in the Old Quarter.
    4. Hoàn Kiếm Lake and Ngọc Sơn TempleThe heart of Hanoi: a lake, a red bridge and a temple dedicated to letters and to an unbeatable general.
    5. Hanoi Opera House (Nhà hát Lớn)A little Palais Garnier in the tropics, whose square launched the August Revolution of 1945.
    6. National Museum of HistoryA building blending France and Asia, created for the school of Orientalists that uncovered ancient Vietnam.

    Start the audio guide See the route

  2. Lunch

    Try Bún chả at Bún chả Đắc Kim. Phố Hàng Mành, 1

  3. Afternoon

    Vietnamese Women's Museum

    A museum in the French Quarter devoted to the women of Vietnam: family life, work, their role in the wars and the costumes of the country's many ethnic groups. It is compact, beautifully presented and only a few minutes from Hỏa Lò Prison.

    Directions

    Thăng Long Water Puppet Theatre

    The classic home of water puppetry (múa rối nước), an art born in the rice paddies of the Red River Delta, performed with live traditional music. Shows are short and the theatre sits right by Hoàn Kiếm Lake; booking ahead is a good idea.

    Directions

  4. Early evening

    Sacred turtles, a magic sword and jailbreaks: legendary Hanoi

    Mysteries & legends · 2.2 km · 1 h 40 min

    1. Hỏa Lò Prison (Maison Centrale)The colonial jail American pilots called the "Hanoi Hilton", from which a hundred prisoners escaped through the sewers.
    2. St Joseph's Cathedral (Nhà thờ Lớn)A neo-Gothic cathedral built on the site of a pagoda whose twelve-storey tower vanished without trace.
    3. Turtle Tower (Tháp Rùa)In the middle of the Lake of the Returned Sword, a tower full of rumours: vanished coffins and a Statue of Liberty.
    4. Ngọc Sơn Temple and the lake turtleThe Temple of the Jade Mountain keeps the body of a giant turtle from the lake, a creature caught between science and myth.
    5. White Horse Temple (Đền Bạch Mã)The Old Quarter's oldest temple keeps the legend of the horse that showed the emperor where to build the walls.
    6. Ô Quan Chưởng GateThe last gate of the old city wall, and the mystery of an officer said to have died defending it.

    Start the audio guide See the route

  5. Dinner

    Try Chả cá Lã Vọng at Chả Cá Lã Vọng. Phố Chả Cá, 14

Day 2From the Citadel to West Lake

Today is “A thousand years of Thăng Long”: be at the Temple of Literature at opening time, while the courtyards are still quiet, then continue past the Flag Tower, the Imperial Citadel and Ba Đình to the One Pillar Pagoda. If you want to go inside the mausoleum, check the opening times and go first, early in the morning. Head back to the Old Quarter for bánh cuốn on Hàng Gà, then order a Grab to the Museum of Ethnology. Finish on the shore of West Lake, at Trấn Quốc Pagoda, in the late-afternoon light.

  1. Morning

    A thousand years of Thăng Long: from mandarin academy to Ba Đình

    History · 3.2 km · 2 h 5 min

    1. Temple of Literature (Văn Miếu)The temple to Confucius that housed Vietnam's first university for seven centuries.
    2. Flag Tower of Hanoi (Cột cờ Hà Nội)The brick lookout that survived when the French tore down the citadel.
    3. Imperial Citadel of Thăng Long: Đoan Môn GateThe south gate through which emperors entered the heart of a thousand years of power.
    4. North Gate (Cửa Bắc)The only citadel gate still standing bears the wounds of the French attack of 1882.
    5. Ba Đình Square and Hồ Chí Minh MausoleumThe square where independence was declared in 1945, and the mausoleum its protagonist never wanted.
    6. One Pillar Pagoda (Chùa Một Cột)A tiny shrine on a single pillar, born of an imperial dream and rebuilt after being blown up.

    Start the audio guide See the route

  2. Lunch

    Try Bánh cuốn at Bánh cuốn gia truyền Thanh Vân. Phố Hàng Gà, 14

  3. Afternoon

    Vietnam Museum of Ethnology

    The best museum in town for understanding Vietnam's 54 ethnic groups: objects, rituals and crafts, plus a garden of full-size traditional houses, such as the Bahnar communal house with its towering roof. It is in Cầu Giấy, about twenty minutes away by Grab.

    Directions

    Trấn Quốc Pagoda (West Lake)

    Regarded as Hanoi's oldest pagoda, founded in the 6th century on the banks of the Red River and moved in the 17th century to an islet in West Lake. Its eleven-tier red stupa looks lovely at sunset from Thanh Niên causeway.

    Directions

The map

Hanoi in 2 days, on the map

Each route’s stops are numbered in order; the stars are the extra sights.

Mixed Mysteries & legends History Extra sight

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Before you go

Tips for Hanoi in 2 days

  • Water puppet shows sell out, especially the evening ones: book as soon as you know your day and go for a mid-afternoon show.
  • The Museum of Ethnology usually closes on Mondays and the Hồ Chí Minh Mausoleum has closing days too: arrange your two days around the calendar of your trip.
  • If you are here at the weekend, the streets around Hoàn Kiếm Lake close to traffic in the evening and fill with families: a perfect after-dinner stroll.

Questions

Hanoi in 2 days: your questions

Are 2 days in Hanoi enough?

To see the city without rushing, yes: the Old Quarter, the lake, the Citadel, Ba Đình, two museums, the water puppets and West Lake. They are not enough for Hạ Long Bay, which is a full-day trip; if you want to go, add another day.

How far will I walk in 2 days?

The routes add up to about 8.5 km: 5.3 km on day one (3.1 km in the morning and 2.2 km at dusk) and 3.2 km on day two. Add the walks to the extras on top; for the Museum of Ethnology, a Grab is the sensible choice.

Are the water puppets worth it?

Yes, if you take them for what they are: a short, very visual traditional show with live music. You do not need any Vietnamese to follow it. It works well in the heat of the day or when it rains, and makes a good break between routes.

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